The 10 Best NHL 2021 Offseason Acquisitions so Far
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Nick Wass/Associated Press
The NHL offseason is the busiest time for player movement through trades and free agency.
A number of players changed teams through trades and free agency during the summer of 2021. Among the significant trades was the Chicago Blackhawks acquiring defenseman Seth Jones from the Columbus Blue Jackets. Winger Zach Hyman was one of the noteworthy free-agent signings, as he landed a lucrative long-term contract with the Edmonton Oilers.
Those two moves appear to be paying early dividends in the 2021-22 season, but they’re not the only ones. A handful of lesser moves, such as the Arizona Coyotes obtaining defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere, have also worked out better than expected.
Here’s our list of the 10 best offseason acquisitions through the first two months of this season. You can express your opinion on this topic in our comments section below.
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Sitting near the bottom of the Western Conference standings, the Vancouver Canucks face a daunting challenge climbing back into the playoff race. However, offseason acquisition Conor Garland’s performance has been among the few positive stories for the Canucks amid a season of gloom.
Garland was part of a multi-player trade with the Arizona Coyotes on July 23 that also brought Oliver Ekman-Larsson to the Canucks. Four days later, he inked a five-year deal with his new club worth an annual average value of $4.95 million.
The Canucks have so far received excellent value for their money. He sits second among their leading scorers with eight goals and third with 19 points in 26 games. At his current pace, he could reach a career-high 55 points by season’s end.
Small by NHL standards at 5’10” and 165 pounds, Garland’s speed and competitive nature were part of the reason the Canucks acquired him. While the club could undergo some roster changes under a new general manager if their fortunes don’t improve over the course of this season, Garland appears to have a bright future in Vancouver.
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The Arizona Coyotes’ acquisition of Shayne Gostisbehere from the Philadelphia Flyers on July 22 seemed less like a trade and more like a giveaway by the Flyers. They also included second- and seventh-round picks in the 2022 draft for future considerations to entice the Coyotes to take the 28-year-old puck-moving defenseman’s contract off their hands.
A Calder Memorial Trophy finalist in 2016, Gostisbehere seemed established with the Flyers after signing a six-year contract in June 2017 worth an annual average value of $4.5 million. However, his production tumbled, and his playing time was reduced over the last two seasons. His best years seemed behind him by the time he was shipped to the Coyotes.
Gostisbehere, however, seems reborn in the Arizona desert. He’s regained his scoring touch with the Coyotes and is tied with Clayton Keller as their leading scorer with 17 points in 25 games. At his current pace, he could reach 50 points for the first time since his career-high 65-point performance in 2017-18.
Fans of the rebuilding Coyotes have had little to cheer about as their club remains mired near the bottom of the NHL standings. Gostisbehere’s play has been among their few bright spots through the early weeks of this season.
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A Calder Memorial Trophy finalist last season with the Carolina Hurricanes, Alex Nedeljkovic was traded on July 22 to the Detroit Red Wings in exchange for Jonathan Bernier and a 2021 third-round pick. The Hurricanes preferred a more experienced goaltending tandem with Bernier and Frederik Andersen, but Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman saw Nedeljkovic as a starter.
On the same day that Nedeljovic was acquired by the Wings, he signed a two-year, $6 million contract with his new club. Yzerman has to be pleased with that investment thus far as the 25-year-old netminder is proving himself to be a reliable starting netminder.
Sharing the goalie duties with veteran backup Thomas Greiss, Nedeljkovic has a record of eight wins, three losses and three overtime losses. He has a 2.60 goals-against average and .920 save percentage. While those stats aren’t at the same level as last season’s 1.95 goals-against average and .932 save percentage with the Hurricanes, he’s still putting up solid numbers on a rebuilding club.
Nedeljkovic was singled out by NHL.com’s Nicholas J. Cotsonika on Dec. 5 along with Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider as part of the rookie class providing a boost to the Wings. He also remains eligible for the Calder this season because he played fewer than 25 games last season and turns 26 in 2022.
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Looking to retool his roster following another early playoff exit, St. Louis Blues general manager Doug Armstrong acquired Pavel Buchnevich on July 23 from the New York Rangers in exchange for Sammy Blais and a 2022 second-round pick. Four days later, the 26-year-old right winger signed a four-year, $23.2 million contract.
Armstrong cited Buchnevich’s 6’3″ frame, experience, left-hand shot and ability to skate on right wing among the factors in acquiring and signing the big winger. So far, those attributes have paid off for the Blues. Having reached or exceeded 46 points in each of his last two seasons with the Rangers, Buchnevich is on pace to reach 50 points for the first time.
Following a bit of a rocky start that saw him suspended two games for head-butting Arizona Coyotes forward Lawson Crouse, Buchenvich has settled in well. He’s tied for second alongside Jordan Kyrou with nine goals, while his 18 points tie him with David Perron for fourth among Blues scorers.
Buchenvich’s improved production as this season has gone along has the Blues well in the thick of the playoff race in the Western Conference. He could become a more significant offensive contributor as he grows more comfortable with his new club.
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The New Jersey Devils pulled off one of the biggest offseason signings by inking Dougie Hamilton to a seven-year, $63 million contract. Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald said he expected the 27-year-old defenseman to play a leading role in his rebuilding club’s efforts to return among the league’s elite teams.
After going 7-3-2 in their first dozen games, the Devils have a 2-6-3 record over their last 11 contests. Nevertheless, they’re getting steady production from Hamilton. With six goals and 15 points in 20 games, he’s third among Devils scorers with a team-leading 22:08 of time on ice per game.
Despite the Devils’ inconsistent play, team captain Nico Hischier praised the addition of Hamilton to the roster during a Dec. 5 interview with NHL.com’s Mike G. Morreale. He felt the veteran defenseman’s experience would be great for this young club.
The Devils are still enduring some growing pains, but there haven’t been any complaints about Hamilton’s contributions thus far. At his present rate of production, he could reach 50 points this season.
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After seven seasons with the Buffalo Sabres, Sam Reinhart was traded on July 24 to the Florida Panthers for a 2022 first-round pick and prospect goaltender Devon Levi. On Aug. 11, the 25-year-old restricted free agent signed a three-year contract worth an annual average value of $6.5 million.
Having finished fourth overall in last season’s standings, the Panthers brought in Reinhart to provide an additional boost of offense and versatility to their forward lines as they push for Stanley Cup contention. He’s shaken off a slow start and is proving to be a solid addition through the early going of this season.
With seven goals and 18 points in 24 games, Reinhart is tied with Carter Verhaeghe for third among Panthers scorers. His ability to play center or wing proved beneficial after top-six forwards Aleksander Barkov and Anthony Duclair were sidelined by injuries.
Reinhart appears to be making a smooth transition from a struggling Sabres team to a dominant Panthers club. Having tallied 40-or-more points in each of the last six seasons, he should continue to be a reliable point producer for his new club.
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After six seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Zach Hyman signed a seven-year, $38.5 million contract on July 28 with the Edmonton Oilers. So far, that deal is working out well for the 29-year-old winger and his new club.
A versatile, hardworking two-way forward who can play all three forward positions, Hyman enjoyed back-to-back 21-goal seasons with the Leafs in 2018-19 and 2019-20. He often skated alongside Leafs superstars Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner.
That experience has served Hyman well in Edmonton. Playing at left wing on Connor McDavid’s line, the 29-year-old seems well at home with his new superstar linemate. He sits third among Oilers scorers with 11 goals and tied with Jesse Puljujarvi for fourth place with 18 points.
Hyman’s lengthy contract could become burdensome in its latter years given his age and the toll his physical style of play could take on his body. For now, however, he’s proved to be a worthwhile addition to the Oilers’ lineup.
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Winger Jaden Schwartz and goaltender Philipp Grubauer were the two major offseason free-agent signings by the expansion Seattle Kraken. The addition of Grubauer, a Vezina Trophy finalist last season with the Colorado Avalanche, drew the most attention. However, it’s the 29-year-old Schwartz who’s had the biggest effect thus far in the Kraken’s inaugural season.
After signing Schwartz to a five-year, $27.5 million contract, Kraken general manager Ron Francis praised the forward’s two-way play, experience and leadership. He’d spent 10 productive seasons with the St. Louis Blues, netting 50-plus points five times and helping the Blues win the 2019 Stanley Cup.
Francis has to be pleased with what he’s seen of Schwartz thus far. After struggling through a 21-point effort in 40 games last season, he’s the Kraken’s leading scorer with 18 points in 23 contests. His strong skating, aggressive two-way play and ability to win puck battles has made him an invaluable addition to their roster.
Schwartz has settled in nicely with his new club and is enjoying a solid bounce-back performance. He could become the first Kraken player to reach the 50-point plateau.
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The Carolina Hurricanes made two significant free-agent signings in goaltender Frederik Andersen and defenseman Tony DeAngelo. While DeAngelo is enjoying a solid bounce-back performance with 19 points in 20 games, the 32-year-old Andersen has been a standout between the pipes. He’s among the league leaders with 11 wins, a 2.05 goals-against average and a .928 save percentage.
Andersen spent five seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs. An injury-hampered 2020-21 campaign and the emergence of Jack Campbell provided the rationale for the Leafs to part ways with their longtime starting goalie.
Coming off a five-year contract with the Leafs worth an annual average value of $5 million, Andersen wound up accepting a lesser deal with the Hurricanes, inking a two-year, $9 million contract. Given his performance thus far, this could turn into a steal for his new club.
Andersen has shown no lingering effects from last season’s nagging lower-body injury and has had no problem fitting in with his new club. One reason could be that he’s seeing a lower number of shots this season compared to the heavy workload he had with the Leafs. Nevertheless, he’s providing the Hurricanes with reliable goaltending.
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The Chicago Blackhawks made two of the offseason’s biggest additions, acquiring defenseman Seth Jones from the Columbus Blue Jackets and goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury from the Vegas Golden Knights. Both have overcome shaky starts with their new club, but it’s the 27-year-old Jones whose performance is under the most scrutiny because of his hefty contract.
Jones signed an eight-year, $76 million extension with the Blackhawks that will begin in 2022-23. The trade and the signing surprised the hockey world, drawing some criticism suggesting the Hawks overpaid for a defenseman of declining skills.
The critics seemed justified in the early weeks of this season as the Blackhawks lurched to a 1-9-2 start. Though Jones collected 10 points in those 12 games, his shaky defensive play left him with a plus-minus of minus-10.
Jones’ performance picked up after the Blackhawks replaced Jeremy Colliton as head coach with Derek King on Nov. 7, though. In the 12 games since King took over, Jones has improved in his own zone without sacrificing his offense, collecting 12 points with a plus-minus of plus-one. He’s the Blackhawks leading scorer with 22 points while logging a team-leading 26:10 of ice time per game.
Time will tell if Jones’ contract will pan out for the Blackhawks over the long term. For now, however, he’s playing a key role in helping his new club overcome its lousy start.
Stats (as of Dec. 7, 2021) via NHL.com. Salary info via Cap Friendly.
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